A new tradition has been started between the Keigley Men and the Stanton Men.
It has been dubbed Mantrip (and then we cleverly add the year).
Tyler and I decided that we should ease our way into such a manly trip with our sons.
We briefly considered living off the fat of the land for a week, but decided to rough it at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC.
It was amazing.
After returning safely to our homes, I created a list of a few things you should consider before embarking on your first Mantrip:

1. Need to Have a Son or Two
I have 2 and Tyler has 2.
It is perfectly fine to not take your boys, but if you have them, they should be included in the beard-strengthening event.

2. Have a Destination Planned
Be sure to have a good place to go.
Make a plan ahead of time, and be sure to go the wrong way for at least 30 miles at some point.

3. Bring a Plastic Barrel of Cheese Balls
Not necessary, but draws lots of attention from people at Wal-Mart while the Cheese Balls are being purchased.
This could create an opportunity for you to talk about the Mantrip and test your knowledge of the event.

4. Have an Obscene Amount of Fun/Adventure
For us, it was watching our boys dive into uncharted waters. Literally.
We were able to see them face a fear, laugh at it and then want to do it again and again.

5. Tell the Tale
Upon returning, be sure to have your stories straight so that some of your embellished accounts check out at both camps.
Be sure to use fresh wounds or scabs for visuals as you recall the events of the trip.

If you have taken your little dudes on a Mantrip, what other details should we know?

The Nasty Little Challenge Rating (1 = disturbing, 5 = disturbing and may cause nightmares, 10 = disturbing, nightmare-causing and most likely to induce vomiting):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Say “hello” to my little friend who lives at Great Wolf Lodge in North Carolina.  His name is Death McGraw.  He is a horrifyingly scary doll that supposedly entertains you at night.  There is a sign posted at this display all day with an invitation to come down at night — bring the whole family — and come in your pajamas for a bedtime story.  I can only assume that is the time he is scoping out his prospects.  He is watching with those nasty glass eyes (he is life size too to make it worse) and those nasty glass eyes scan the room for weak hearts and tasty fingers.  There he sits.  Patiently in the lobby.  Watching every single person that comes through the door with hopes of a restful visit.
Don’t get too comfy visitors.
To get this photo, I had to lean far too close to Death.  It made me nervous.  I am pretty certain I saw something red in the corners of his mouth.  I hope it was paint.
I wish you could have seen him in person.  The fact that he is life size and he sits crouched and watching from inside a stump all day gets him a 7 on my Nasty Little Challenge scale.

Has anyone else seen this guy?  Have you seen him in action?

If you have a photo of a Nasty Little Doll you would like the world to see, send it to me.